J.P. Plachecki

J.P. Plachecki, a native of Winona, attended Cotter High School. He was named best actor in 1978 and served as the three-year varsity football defensive captain, helping Cotter achieve a record of six straight defensive shutouts. He earned his B.A. from St. Mary's University of Minnesota, graduating cum laude. He then pursued his J.D. at Hamline University Law School, where he made the dean's list.

Continuing his education, he obtained an LLM from Boston University School of Law. Afterward, he worked as a Special Assistant Attorney General for the Massachusetts Department of Revenue. In 1994, he returned to his hometown and joined the law firm of Darby, Delano & Price. His practice primarily focuses on representing accused individuals in criminal matters across the Midwest.

J.P. Plachecki achieved a significant victory in State v. Burbach, a landmark Minnesota Supreme Court decision. You can watch him arguing the case at the Minnesota Supreme Court. He has consistently been recognized by the Minnesota Super Lawyers, earning his spot on the list every year from 2005 to 2023. Minnesota Law & Politics named him one of the Top 40 Criminal Defense Attorneys in the state in both 2007 and 2008. Minnesota Law & Politics also featured him in an article called "The Winona Boys" in their April/May 2008 issue.

Plachecki has extensive experience trying criminal cases throughout Minnesota and even worked alongside George Parnham, a frequent legal commentator on CNN and counsel to Andrea Yates, on a Minnesota case. For a decade, he partnered with Douglas Walser Thomson, Minnesota's most renowned criminal defense attorney, trying cases in the Midwest. Additionally, he served as an adjunct faculty member at Winona State University.